The Public Enterprises Department has been called to urgently pay workers at the arms manufacturer Denel Metal Pressings their three months of wages.

Metalworkers Workers Union (Numsa) who marched on the ministry’s offices in Pretoria has reiterated their demand for Minister Pravin Gordhan to go – describing him as state owned entity wrecking ball. They say he has caused much suffering.

According to Numsa history is repeating itself as they were forced to go to court last time when Denel failed to pay workers for a year. That however was recently paid when the court attached the SOE’s bank accounts. The protest comes as there are fears that jobs are on the line amid Denel’s restructuring.

The SOE is one of several that is facing financial woes.